Wednesday, August 25, 2010

The first set of NCAA III Regional Rankings conducted by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and the Calvin men’s and women’s cross country teams are both ranked number-one in their respective regional polls.

On the men’s side, Calvin is ranked number-one in the Great Lakes Regional poll followed by Mount Union (OH) in second, Heidelberg (OH) in third and Manchester (IN) in fourth. On the women’s side, Calvin is ranked number-one in the Great Lakes Regional poll while rival Hope is close behind in second followed by Oberlin (OH) in third and Case Western Reserve (OH) in fourth.Placed in order by a representative in each region, regional rankings are a reflection of a teamís strengths entering the year based on returning and new runners on each squad.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Summer vacation typically signals empty classrooms and campuses, but the Venema Aquatic Center has seen plenty of activity in the summer months.

Swimming and diving lessons, high school conditioning, summer swim team, and various camps have made Calvinís Venema Aquatic Center a hotspot for aquatic training. Among those camps are an elite swimming camp and a high school diving camp.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

The 2009 Calvin men’s soccer season was a season to remember - certainly a season that will go down in the history books of Calvin College athletics. The goal of Calvin soccer coach Chris Hughes however is to put the 2009 season in the rearview mirror and look ahead to the 2010 campaign.

“Last year was a season that no one will ever forget,” said Hughes. “Advancing all the way to the national championship game was something our program had never accomplished before. It was a wonderful historical moment for our program and one we will always cherish. But last year was last year. We can’t focus on what happened in the past. We have to look ahead and focus on the here and now.”

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Only one team in MIAA history has claimed six consecutive league titles in women’s soccer. Calvin is hoping to become the second. Calvin women’s soccer coach Mark Recker realized that reaching that goal will not be easy however.

“Our league continues to add quality and balance,” said Recker. “There are several teams that are capable of making a run at the league title. We’ve seen that first hand over the past few years. Our goal is always to win the league title but we realize that everyone else in our league has the same goal.”

Saturday, August 21, 2010

With a talented cast of runners, the 2010 Calvin men’s cross country team enters the upcoming season with a wealth of enthusiasm. Calvin’s 2009 squad maintained its strong tradition, capturing the MIAA title for the 23rd consecutive year, winning the Great Lakes Regional crown for the 14th straight year and placing 13th at the NCAA III Cross Country Championships.

With four individuals who were named to the All-MIAA first team and Great Lakes All-Region team returning, the Knights will be looking for continued success this fall. Leading the list of returning runners is junior Nick Kramer (Dyer, IN/Illiana Christian HS) who was named the MIAA’s Most Valuable Runner in 2009 and later earned Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year honors after winning the Great Lakes Regional title in mid-November.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

The Calvin women’s volleyball team is ranked ninth in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Top 25 pre-season poll. The Knights were ranked 11th in the final AVCA Division III Top 25 poll last November. Led by head coach Amber Warners, Calvin returns four starters from its team that posted a 28-7 record, captured the MIAA Tournament title and reached the second round of the NCAA III Tournament a year ago.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Continuing the momentum of a 28-win campaign from a year ago is the goal of the 2010 Calvin volleyball team. Calvin’s 2009 team finished 28-7 overall, captured the MIAA Tournament title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA III Tournament.

If the Knights are to match last year’s success or even surpass it, they will need to avoid the injury bug that bit through the roster last season, particularly in late October when the Knights were battling for a regular season conference title.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

The 2010 Calvin men’s golf team returns six letterwinners from its 2009 squad that tied for second in the final MIAA standings.

Calvin’s senior cast includes Jess Hendriksma and Eric Doezema. Hendriksma (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) was a second team All-MIAA selection in 2009, finishing 10th in the final MIAA individual standings with an average of 75.9 strokes per round. Doezema (Grand Rapids/Grand Rapids Christian HS) is another savvy veteran who finished the 2009 MIAA season inside of Calvin’s regular lineup.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

With only one returning letterwinner, the 2010 Calvin women’s golf team will feature a new look this fall. Gone are graduated seniors Emily Tuuk, Kelli Visser, Julienne Louters and Rachel Strikwerda. In are five welcome newcomers to the roster.

According to head coach Jerry Bergsma, the newcomers will bring enthusiasm and passion to the team.